San Mateo County To Issue 'Shelter In Place' Order: Report

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA — A “shelter in place” order for Bay Area residents in six counties including San Mateo and Santa Clara will be announced at 1 p.m. on Monday in response to the new coronavirus outbreak, The San Francisco Chronicle reports.

The measure will mandate that all residents stay in their homes and away from others to the extent possible for at least three weeks, or until April 7, the report said.

What is believed to be the nation's most sweeping restriction on movement since the outbreak began goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, the report said.

The combined population of the affected areas is 6.7 million.

People will be allowed to travel to access health care and to purchase essential supplies and to provide assistance to others, but all other gatherings of any size will be banned.

Public transportation systems and airports will remain open for essential travel but people will be expected to keep six feet apart to the extent possible.

The Chronicle obtained a copy of the order, which states:

“The scientific evidence shows that at this stage of the (coronavirus) emergency, it is essential to slow virus transmission as much as possible to protect the most vulnerable and to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed. One proven way to slow the transmission is to limit interactions among people to the greatest extent practicable.”

Read more in The San Francisco Chronicle